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"As for her devotion to Lady A: begetting this chivalrous ardor in her,—Lady A. has got plenty of friends quite as intimate, who never fancied for a moment that they were called on to fight her battles." Following this, the writer declares himself "done" with Hosmer and cites the many rumors he'd ignored about her on the path to their friendship in his final letter concerning the artist. From this, it becomes evident that this circle of creatives is bound to each other by more than their artistic interests ().

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Towards later life and even posthumously, articles referred to Hosmer and her fellow female artists as a "flock", taken from a quote by Henry James in his biography of sculptor and friend of Hosmer's William Wetmore, in which he calls the group a “strange sisterhood of American ‘lady sculptors’ who at one time settled upon the seven hills in a white, marmorean flock.”‍ (James 1904). This one was published posthumously in The New England Quarterly in June 1959.

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In a letter to friend Henrietta Cook, poet Elizabeth Browning, who would later become a close friend of Hosmer's, comments on her household of sister artists, stating "Oh – there's a house of what I call emancipated women – a young sculptress – American, Miss Hosmer, a pupil of Gibson's, very clever and very strange – and Miss Hayes the translator of George Sand, who 'dresses like a man down to the waist'" (Browning 1853; Harriet Goodhue Hosmer). Hosmer seems to make herself at home in this circle of 'queer' women.

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Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1853)

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Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1853)

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Becoming fast friends with the married couple, the artist proposes a plaster casting of the two's hands, a piece the writers only agree to if cast by Hosmer herself (Artwork by Harriet Hosmer). Given the sensitivity of its subject matter and the circumstances of its creation, the piece suggests an incredibly close friendship between Hosmer and the Brownings.

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Elizabeth Barret Browning following a visit to Hosmer's studio in a letter to novelist Isa Blagden (1854)

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Elizabeth Barret Browning following a visit to Hosmer's studio in a letter to novelist Isa Blagden (1854)

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"By the way, we went to her studio to give her news of you, & found her tête à tête or rather corps à corps with a model– She invited us in, & Robert accepted. For my part I felt rather shy, & preferred the company of Mr Gibson’s painted Venus, who is only nearly as bad (when all’s said) as any natural nudity...One’s a woman after all, and weak: I would rather see a nude male model in the company of a man (though my husband) than a nude female model...An artist like Hatty is justified by her art—but I should scarcely be justified" (Browning 1854).

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An article retelling the story of Hosmer's encounter with the ghost of her former maid, Rosa. It was published in The Atlantic magazine in May 1862. The writing points to Hosmer's earlier experiences with grief and their influence on her views toward life. The story characterizes her as a thoughtful and usually superstitious person with a deep respect for the supernatural, highlighting the kinds of quirky and macabre interests that permeated well-to-do artistic circles at the time.

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Charlotte Cushman on the relationship between Hosmer and friend Florence Freeman in 1864

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Charlotte Cushman on the relationship between Hosmer and friend Florence Freeman in 1864

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Though not public knowledge, Hosmer gains a reputation in her artistic circle for her romantic affairs. In a letter to a friend, Cushman writes “Hattie has been making use of Florence Freeman as a ‘fag’ but now that Mary [Emma Crow Cushman’s sister] has come she leaves Florie to her own devices. It is hard work to love Hattie for she will not suffer any human being to hold her one moment longer than she pleases.”‍ (Cushman, 1864, as cited in Musacchio, 2022)

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Presented at the Dublin Exposition of 1865, Hosmer's The Sleeping Faun, marked Hosmer's return to Europe following a visit to Watertown after receiving news of her father's declining health in 1862. Sir Charles Eastlake said of the painting "If it had been discovered among the ruins of Rome or Pompeii, it would have been pronounced one of the best Grecian statues". It was purchased on its opening day by the brewing company Guinness, but a copy was allowed to be made for the Lady Ashburton of England, who was among one of Hosmer's most loyal patrons at the time. Its accompanying piece, The Waking Faun, was also owned by Lady Ashburton (Bradford 1911; Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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The Death of the Dryads, Chimney Piece for Lady Ashburton, Melchet Court, 1867

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The Death of the Dryads, Chimney Piece for Lady Ashburton, Melchet Court, 1867

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A sketch of a piece commissioned for Louisa Baring, widowed Lady of Ashburton and Hosmer's longest rumored romantic relationship, in 1867 (Harriet Goodhue Hosmer). It is slightly ironic in its depiction of sprawling dryads and cherubs holding kindling, meant to be decoration for a fireplace.

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The Death of the Dryads, Chimney Piece for Lady Ashburton, Melchet Court, 1867

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In 1857, a dramatic split between Matilda Hayes and Charlotte Cushman causes the first splinter in Hosmers "flock". Becoming more socially involved in Europe, Hosmer finds herself neglecting her friendship with Elizabeth Browning, who is confined to her home with poor health. The sculptor was distracted by the attentions of the wealthy Lady Marian Alford at the time, whose company Browning did not enjoy. After Elizabeth's death in 1861, Hosmer and Robert's friendship begins to deteriorate, due in part to friction caused by the artists' active social life. (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches)

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As a close personal friend and editor to Hosmer's most notable biographical record Harriet Hosmer: Letters and Memories, Cornelia Crowe Carr (1833-1922) played a major role in the censorship and separation of the artist's unconventional romantic life from her work (Harriet Goodhue Hosmer). The result is a posthumous record of the artist's life which mentions her preference for masculine attire, often intense and dramatic relationships with women, and lifelong avoidance of marriage as excusable quirks tied to her identity as a Victorian bohemian. This exhibition attempts to illustrate the inseparability of the artist's queer identity from her works and life, as her art and personal records expose how deeply these relationships, along with the artist's attitudes towards gender norms and sexuality, influenced her career.

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Sketch of Hosmer from "Ladies Repository" Article (1861)

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Sketch of Hosmer from "Ladies Repository" Article (1861)

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After completing her education at the Sedgwick school in 1849, Hosmer began studying sculpting in Boston but struggled with a lack of education in anatomy and the scarcity of programs open to teaching women at the time. With the support of Cornelia's father Wayman Crow (1808–1885), a wealthy merchant with influence, Hosmer gained admission to study anatomy at the Missouri Medical College at Washington University in St. Louis (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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An excerpt of a letter from Hosmer to Wayman Crow in 1857 taken from a biographical article about Hosmer written in 1943 by Robert J. Terry for the Washington University Medical Alumni Quarterly. It relays the artists' feelings about her Beatrice Cenci sculpture and its future showing in St. Louis. Though it is debated that Hosmer and the younger Crow were romantically involved, their close friendship and the long-lasting social and financial support Hosmer received from Cornelia's father serve as evidence of a strong relationship between the two (Harriet Goodhue Hosmer).

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Queen Isabella Association Membership + Share Certificates (1890)

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Queen Isabella Association Membership + Share Certificates (1890)

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Hosmer's 1890 issuance of membership to the Queen Isabella Association, a group of women suffragists who worked to raise funds for a statue of Queen Isabella of Spain at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches; Harriet Goodhue Hosmer).

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Queen Isabella Association Membership + Share Certificates

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An image of Hosmer's Beatrice Cenci, which was commissioned for the Mercantile Library of St. Louis and completed in 1857. The sculpture is one of Hosmer's first works of notoriety and depicts Cenci, an Italian woman who was executed by the Church for the murder of her abusive nobleman father in the sixteenth century. It approaches the topic of female suffering under patriarchial forces with a sensitivity and artfulness that reflect Hosmer's artistic ability, formal education, and personal beliefs in female independence and appreciation for classical art. (Green Fryd, 2006; Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches)

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“Queen Isabella of Castile” (1893), was Hosmer's last major work.

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Following in the footsteps of a number of other artists at the time, Hosmer settles on Rome as the scene for the advancement of her artistic career, calling it a "mecca" for artists (Bradford 1911). With her father and a handful of fellow artists in tow, Hosmer travels to Rome and moves into apartments at 28 Via del Corso in October of 1852. She lives there with renowned actress Charlotte Cushman (1816-1876) and her partner Matilda Hays (1820-897), spending the next 40 years of her life in Rome with the occasional visit to the US and England to see friends and family (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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Harriet Goodhue Hosmer was born... (1943)

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Harriet Goodhue Hosmer was born... (1943)

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A footnote describing Hosmer's paternal lineage, taken from a biographical article written in 1943 by Robert J. Terry for the Washington University Medical Alumni Quarterly. She was born in Watertown, Massachusetts on October 9, 1830 to Dr. Hiram Hosmer and his wife Sarah (Grant) Hosmer. Hailing from a long and well-respected new England patriline, Hosmer is the last living member of her immediate family by 1862.

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"Harriet Hosmer, A Biographical Sketch" (1861)

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"Harriet Hosmer, A Biographical Sketch" (1861)

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A biographical account of Hosmer's upbringing and professional life written by Lydia Maria Child for the Ladies Repository in January 1861. Chronicles Hosmer's active, tomboyish childhood and her father's reputation as a well-respected physician. It was commissioned by Hosmer's father and features a sketch of the artist as a young woman.

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...Best Notice of Me that Ever Was Written (1873-1875)

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...Best Notice of Me that Ever Was Written (1873-1875)

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Biographical material hand copied from an unknown source by Hosmer herself in 1873 or 1875. While its contents are difficult to read, the existence of this record points to the artist's awareness of her own reputation and seems to reflect the sculptor's interest in taking ownership of her own history. Includes mentions of the artist's family, Massachusetts upbringing, and discussions on the female intellect.

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...Best Notice of Me that Ever was Written

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"Life and Works of Harriet Hosmer, The American Sculptor" (1911)

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"Life and Works of Harriet Hosmer, The American Sculptor" (1911)

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A posthumous biographical article written for the New England Magazine in November of 1911. It mentions how, later in life, Hosmer turns her attention from sculpture to invention, leaving Rome to work on the creation of artificial marble and a perpetual motion machine. She lives with Lady Ashburton in England until the early 1900s when she returns to Watertown before contracting pneumonia in 1908 and passing away at the age of 77. The article remembers Hosmer as a free-spirited and well received-artist, whose "unconventional ways, and witticisms disarmed all formalities and made her society a delight" (Bradford 1911).

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Life and Works of Harriet Hosmer, The American Sculptor

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Following the loss of her mother and siblings to tuberculosis, a young Hosmer was prescribed an athletic regimen by her physician father. As a result, she enjoyed an active, traditionally masculine, childhood of horseback riding, fishing, and hunting (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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Portrait of Harriet Hosmer on her horse (1850-1879)

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Portrait of Harriet Hosmer on her horse (1850-1879)

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Photo taken of Hosmer on her "favorite hunter" by Michele & C., Mang in Rome, Italy dated ca. 1850-1879.

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Robert Browning in Letter to Edith Story, 4 April 1872

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Robert Browning in Letter to Edith Story, 4 April 1872

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During his stay at her hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands, Robert Browning receives a proposal of marriage from the much wealthier Lady Ashburton. Upon learning of his rejection, Hosmer writes to friends condemning Browning's treatment of the lady. In a letter to mutual friend Edith Story, Browning maintains that he had never left Lady Ashburton “in ignorance … for a moment,—though that I ever paraded this in a gross form to anybody is simply false: but had it been true,—does Hatty instantly practise impertinence on any friend of hers who intends to make an ambitious or mercenary marriage?", expressing disappointment in Hosmer's belief of gossip. He continues, commenting on the intimate relationship between the sculptor and the noblewoman, saying "As for her devotion to Lady A: begetting this chivalrous ardor in her,—Lady A. has got plenty of friends quite as intimate, who never fancied for a moment that they were called on to fight her battles.” Following this dispute, Browning declares himself "done" with the sculptor, and Hosmer lashes out in private, though takes care to maintain a positive opinion of Browning in public (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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Hosmer grew up an "unapologetic tomboy", whose "adventurous behavior" resulted in her expulsion from several schools. This led her father to enroll her in Mrs. Sedgwick’s finishing school in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1847 where she studied under headmistress and founder, Elizabeth Sedgwick (1801–1864). While there, Hosmer befriended fellow student Cornelia Crow who would later edit her biography (Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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"She was often importuned to write her autobiography, but she never found time even if she had the inclination. This fact is much to be regretted" (Bradford 1911).

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Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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A list of nonsensical organizational rules alongside an invitation to a ceremony affiliated with the Tarantula Bower Female Association. Believed to have been written in 1848, likely while Hosmer studied at the Sedgewick School.

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Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association

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Excerpt from: Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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Excerpt from: Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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"Entrance will be strictly forbidden to those who prefer remaining out."

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Excerpt from: Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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Excerpt from: Rules and Regulations of the Tarantula Bower Female Association (1848)

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"All will bring their own rubber in order not to rub against their neighbors."

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A young Hosmer photographed with her male assistants and carvers in the courtyard of her studio in Rome. In an 1857 letter addressed to her sister, poet Bessie Rayner Parkes writes of Hosmer: "She… manages her petticoats with a certain extraordinary ease suggestive of trousers,—but the finishing and funniest point of all is a very tiny waist, and this, strangely for a sculptor, seems Hatty’s weak point, for all her jackets fit quite tight and neat, and when she has a velvet sculptor’s cap on her curly hair and sticks her little hands into her little pockets, the whole effect is irresistibly whimsical” (as quoted in Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches).

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Upon entering Roman society, Hosmer makes a great first impression, being welcomed into artistic circles and earning the support of a number of notable figures, including English sculptor John Gibson (1790–1866) who is impressed by her earlier works and takes the young sculptor on as a pupil. According to Reyner Parkes, "She is the funniest little creature; not at all coarse, rough or slangy, but like a little boy. I have never seen anything so innocent as Hatty, nor so very queer. …She lives with an old French lady, but conducts herself in all respects exactly as she chooses, being not only tolerated, but actually adopted by the married ladies in Rome, and by all sorts of grandees also" (as quoted in Harriet G. Hosmer | Biographical Sketches). Navigating a unique position as an outsider in Rome, bound to neither American nor Italian social rules, Hosmer was able to more freely express her queer identity through masculine dress, a number of intimate relationships with women, and the exploration of themes relating to gender, femininity, and social justice in her art with little consequence to her reputation.